‘Superpower’ was originally conceived as a profile of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former actor himself, but due to the Russian invasion, it turned into a portrait of events in the war-torn country. Penn and his co-director Aaron Kaufman were filming in Kyiv when Russia invaded in February last year. That night, Penn conducted his first of several interviews with Zelenskyy for the film.] During a later visit to the country, Penn loaned one of his two Oscars to Zelenskyy, telling him: “When you win, bring it back to Malibu.” Hollywood star Penn has been involved in numerous international humanitarian and anti-war efforts over the years, and in 2022 Zelenskyy presented him with the Ukrainian Order of Merit.
